Combined cover and socket-piece.



J. HAMILTON; QOMBINED GOVER AND SOCKET PIECE.

APPLICATION TILED DEO.16,1907.

Patented Au 29, 1911.

Fig.

' Fig.3. Ema

UNITED STATES pn rnnr OFFlOE.

JOHN HAMILTON, OF JAMAICA PLAIN, MASSACHUSETTS.

COMBINED COVER AND SOCKET-PIECE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 29, 1911.

Application fi1ed December 16, 1907. Serial No. 406,693.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, Join l-lxauurox, a citizen ofthe United States, residing in Jamaica Plaiin'county of Suffolk, and b'tate of Massachusetts,.have invented an Imrovement in a Combined Cover and Socketiece, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to a combination cover and socket piece of'insulating material, especially designed and adapted among other uses, to be employed in connection with a metallic junction box, whereby the said box may be provided with an efiicient and inex ensive cover having a socket which is extended into the box' and is provided with terminals with which electrical con nection may be made with the line or circuit wires within the box, thereby notecting the connections-from moisture and usual rosette commonly employed with me tallic covers of junction boxes to be dispensed with, and the connections between said terminals and the circuit wires to be made at a minimulnexpense. These and other features of this invention will be pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 is an elevation of a metallic junction box provided with a combined cover and socket piece embodying this invention. Fig. 2, a central vertical section .of the junction box and its cover shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3, an underside view of the cover shown in Fig. 1. \Fig. 4, a modification to bereferred to.)

The metal junction box a, provided in its side Walls with threaded openings .5, for the reception of the-conduits or pipes a through which the circuit or line wires, not shown, are 'led into the box a, may be of any sui.t able or usual construction.

As now commonly constructed and known to me, metallic junction boxesare provided with metallic covers to close the mouths of the same and, upon which is"'moun ted theusual rosette comprising a ba se and a cap of insulating materlal. ThlS construction is not only expensive on account of the cost of the separate parts but also on account of the work required to secure the parts together, which necessitated'drilling the metal cover to receive the screws employed to fasten the cover to the box,'j also drilling and tapping enabling the two holes in the metal cover to receive the screws which held the base of the rosette to the metal cover of the junction box. Further the metal cover had to be drilled and hushed with insulating material for the passage of the circuit wires from the interior of the'junction box tothe connecting screws on the base of the rosette. The cap of the rosette was provided with connecting screws to which one end of the lamp cord was attached, the other end being connected with the lamp socket. The cap of the rosette was mechanical] fastened, to the base of the rosette by c ips and screws, which fastenings also served to act as circuit connections.

In the present instance, the metallic cover, the rosette comprising the-base andcap, the labor incident to this'construction, and also the exposed electrical connections have been dispensed with, which has been accompljsiled by providing a combined cover 5 and soket piece 6 in one piece of insulatin material such as porcelain. The cover 5 is of sufficient width or diameter to close the mouth of the box a and is provided as herein shown" with in s or are 7- forming o enings 8 for the pas go of the screws 9, w ich are inserted into threaded holes in the(sides of the box'a. ,The socket piece 6 is extended from the back of the cover so as to project well into the box a, and is provided on its inher side with a screw-threadedterminal 10 to which a terminal screw 12 is connected, and is further, provided with a terminal 14 having a. spring or yielding finger 15, and to which, the termina screw 16 is connected.

Theterminals 10, 14 cooperate with theusual terminals of the lamp, when the latter is screwed into the socket piece 6, and the terminal screws 12, 16, are connected by suitable wires (not shown) with the line or circuit wires within the box. The socket 'piece is preferably provided with a projectmg lip or front portion 20, which extends beyond the front of the cover and acts as a deflector to shed moisture which may-accumulatc on the outer surface oi the cover, and if desired, the lip 20 may be made flaring and long enough to be usedjas a reflector for the lamp inserted into the socket piece (see I Fig. 4.

' The socket iece is provided in its bottom wall 25 with s ots or openings 26 for the reception of the terminal screws 12, 16,"an(l which slots communicate through openings 30 with the interior of the socket and perleaving the terminal screws readily accessibio and effecting a considerable savin intime and labor in making the connections. The slots 26 may be separated by a transverse wall 28 integral with the socket piece" *and forming an arcinterruptin wall be tween. the terminals 12, 16, and to slots 26 are of sufiicient depth to enable the termi-' nals 12, 16 to be located below the rear 'surface of the socket piece and be thereby protected from accidental short circuits by con--' tact of the rear surface of the socket piece with metalrk A water-tight joint may be effected between-the cover 5 and the box a by ,a washer 21 of rubber or other suitable materiaL- The connections between the terminals of the socket piece 6 and the line wires are effected within the junction box a by soldering one end of the branch or lamp wires rectly-to the line wires, the other end of the lamp wires being connected with the terminal screws 12, 16..

The combination cover and socket piece provided within it with circuit terminals is especially designed to be used in connection with-a junction box, inasmuch as a superior electrical connection is obtained, which is protected from moisture, and because the initial costand that of maintenance is materially reduced.

\Vhile the combination cover and socket piece of insulating material is especially applicable for use with'junction boxes, I do not desire to limit the invention otherwise than by the scope of the allowed claims.

Claims.

' 1. The combination with a metal junction box provided swith-side walls forming the -mouth for 'thii box and having openings therein for the passage into. the'box of circuit wires, of a combined cover and socket piece of insulating material comprisingaa cover of (an area equal to the (area of the mouthof the ho to close the same andsecured to said box, a socket piece of less area than saidcover and extended from the back of'the cover into said box, anda lip or flange extended from the-front of said cover around the socket therein, and circuit terminals within said socket piece capable of being connected with the circuit wires in the box, substantially as described.

2. A one-piece combination cover and Socket piece of-insulat'ing material, said. never having openings extended through it near its circumference and said socket piece extending from the back of the cover and (surrounded on all sides by the same and its circumference and said socket piece extending from the back of the cover and surrounded on all sides by the same and provided in its rear surface with slots for the reception of terminal screws, and with a wall extended transversely of said slots between the same, a lip or flange extended from the front of the cover, and circuit terminals within said socket which are engaged by the terminal screws in said slots, substantially as described.

4. r socket piece ofinsulating material, said cover having openings extended through it near its circumference and said socket piece extending from the back of the cover \andksurrounded on all sides thereof bysaid cover gand provided with a bottom wall having in its outer surface slots for the reception of terminaliscrews capable of being located below the outer surface of said bottom wall, a

one-piece combination cover and lip 1- flange extended from the front of the cover, and circuit terminals within said socket piece; which are engaged by the terminal screws in said slot-s, substantially as described.

5-. A one-piece combination cover and socket piece of insulating material, said cover having openings extended through it near its circumference and said socket' piece extending from th'eback of-the cover and surroundedon all sid" thereof by said cover and provided with ai' bottom .wall having in its outer surface transversely extended slots for the reception of terminal screws and separated by a wall extended transversely of said slots between the same, a lip or flange extended from the front of the cover, and circuit terminals within said socket which are engaged by the terminal screws in said slots, substantially as described. I

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN HAMILTON.

' Witnesses: I I Jas. H. CHURCHILL, J. MURPHY. 

